Film-inspecting machine



Jun 8 ,-l926. 4 1,588,096,

' C. DE MOOS FILM INVSPECTING'MACHINE Filed Feb. 5, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 WITNESS INVENTOR ATTORNEY S.

June 8, 1926. 1,588,096

-C. DE MOOS FILM INSPEGTING MACHINE Filed Feb. 5,1922 2 Sheets-Shet 2 uunnnuuuuuuundniyi' r \cumnuu WITNESS ATTORNEYS.

Patented June 8, 1926.-

UNITED STATES 1,588,096 PATENT oFFicE.

CHABLES'DI M005, OF'FORT LEE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO EASTMAN KODAK, COH- PANY, OI ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

FILH-INSPECTIN G MACHINE.

Application filed February 3, 1922. Serial No. 538,888- r This machine relates to photography, and more particularly to motion picture photography, having for its object to provide a machine to expedite and simplify the inspection and proper division of long film bands. A further object is'to provide a machine in which a series of film bands can be handled at one timewithout sacrificing the accuracy and quality of work. Another object is to provide a machine which will automatically wind a plurality of film bands past an observation window, and one in which any or all of the film bands may be stopped at will. Another object is to provide an automatic means of stopping the winding mechanism at predetermined periods, such periods being usually determined by the lengths of the various different scenes. Still another object is to provide a signal to call attention to the stopping of any winding unit. Other objects will appear hereinafter. I

It is customary in commercial motion picture finishing to print the required copies from a master negative, one succeeding the other on a long film band. This strip is then developed, fixed, washed, and dried and is then ready for inspecting for imperfections and for division into the units which are later assembled into the final strip. By notching the film each time a section is printed, the film can then be used on my machine, thus enabling the final steps of arranging the several strips for the complete band to be quickly performed.

In preparing the master negative this machine is also useful. The film can be notched opposite parts to be deleted, opposite various scenes, and at any other places desired, such as where the original pictures are not in the desired sequence. The filmcan then be inspected and cut for assembling rapidly and thoroughly. f

Coming now to the drawings in which like reference characters denote like parts throughout: i

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a machine embodying, and constructed in accordance with one form of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a section on line IIII of Fig.1.

Fig. 3 is'an enlarged detail view of a part of the driving mechanism;

Fig. 4 is an enlar ed detail view of the automatic throw-ofi' for the driving mechanism and the signal therefor;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a circuit breaker used with my machine;

Fig. 6 is a rear elevation of the part shown in Fig. 5; and

F 1g. '7 is a simplified wiring diagram of one unit of my machine.

In the drawin a number of unessential parts of the mac ine frame have been omitted for the sake of clearness. The film bands F are drawn from supply reels 1 past an inspection window 2 and circuit breakers 3, and are finally wound upon receiving reels 4.

The inspection window 2 is preferabl of ground glass, although any suitable di fusing material can be used. A frame 5 carries the glass and is supported by side, top and bottom walls 6 of a box-like structure, the rear wall 7 of which is carried by frame uprights 8, a bar 9 connectin the top of the uprights. The interior of t e lamp box is preferably coated with light reflecting material, white paint being suitable. A plurality of lamps 10, with shields 11 are arranged to evenly illuminate the entire surface of the ground glass 2.

The supply reels 1 are mounted'individually upon separate mounts, each mount being of the same structure. A bracket 12, carried by a support 13 is equipped with a bearing 14 for a stub shaft-15. This shaft carries a disk 16 against which a friction pad 17 presses to retard the movement of the shaft. A lever 18, pivoted at 19 tothe bracket, carries the 'pad 17 at one end, the metal 20 at the opposite end being of sufficient Weight to press the pad against the pulley 30 is carried on "the opposite end of lever '28, from which a bar 31 and adjustable 1 weight 32 extend. This tends to rotate the ad 27 into breaking position (full lines ig. 3). A knob 33 is provided for convenience in manual adjustment. A link 34 is pivoted to lever 28 and has a notch 34 which engages a trigger 35 when the same is raised, thus holding the idler pulley 30 in contact with a belt 36, as shown in Fig. 2. Belt 36 when thus tensioned drives pulley 26 through power derived from pulley 37 afiixed to shaft 38. This shaft, carried by bearings 39 and 40, is constantly driven by motor 41, pulleys 42 and 43 and a belt 44.

The trigger 35 is slidably mounted in a box 45, being pressed by a spring 46 from its raised position. Also in this box is a solenoid 47 having a slidable core 48. A lever 49 swings about a pin 50, each end being slotted at 51. Pins 53 and 52 on the core 48 and trigger 35 pass through these slots. A metal bar 54 is carried by the lever, being adapted to make a circuit between terminals 55 and 56 when in contact therewith, thus ringing the bell 57 as the current asses to it through wires 58 and 59. When t e trigger is lowered the bell rings and link 34 is released. When power passes into. solenoid-47 through wires 60 and 61 the core 48 holds the trigger raised against spring pressure.

The circuit breaker 3 (one for each film band F) consists of a grooved wheel 62 running on an edge of the film, and carried on an arm 63 ivoted at 64 to standards 65. A. bar 66 es the circuit between terminals 67 and 68 when the roller is on the film edge, Fig. 5, but breaks it when a notch f is reached. These terminals are on wire 60 which goes to the solenoid. Flan ed i er guide rollers 69 and 70 keep the film in the proper position, so that it is not displaced by the roller'62.

In Fig. 7 I indicate a simplified wiring diagram for a single unit, a similar system being used for each film band mechanism. The source of power enters wires 71 and 72 to the primary side of a transformer T, the secondary wires passing out at 60 and 61. I prefer to use a low voltage as it is much more economical, causes-less arcing at the several switches and circuit breakers and is safer than the higher voltage,.which,' however, may be used. The switch 73 is shown in Fig. 1 as mounted in a switch box 79, one switch, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77 or 78 being for each unit. The bell 57 is connected to power through wires 58 and 59, the former passing from wire 60, through switch bar 54 to the bell, and the latter from wire 61 through switch 80' to the bell. Switch 80 is only used to disconnect the bell from the circuit. The motor and lamps are connected to the full voltage line.

The operation of my machine is as follows:

reels 1 are placed in position and Su ply the 5m bands F threaded through rollers 69 and 70 to the take-up reels 4. Assuming the lamps are lit and the motorrun mug, the operator then thrust knobs 33 inpasses window 2, the operator Watches for.

imperfections and gives general attention to each hand. If, however, this general inspection shows one or more bands do not come up to the desired quality, such bands are halted immediately for careful or minute inspection by breaking the desired circuits by the switches 73, 74, 75, 76, 77 or 78. This de-energizes a solenoid 47 so that trigger 35 is lowered and belt 36 loosened.

-This causes the pad 27 to contact with pulley 26 .quickly stopping the winding. By releasing the switch the circuit is automatically made, and knobs 33 are used to start the winding. When a scene ends, or a separating part of the film band is reached, the notch 1 causes the circuit breaker to de-energize the ma'gnet automatically, thus stopping the winding by means of the solenoid as before. The film can be severed and re-threaded to another reel 4, from which the complete picture can be assembled. By mymachine there is no danger of accidentally winding past. the desired scene, as the film will automatically stop and the bell will notify the operator of .the stop. This permits one person to tend successfully to a number of film bands, where it is customary to handle but one at a time. Moreover, there is a sufiicient length of film in position before the illuminator to permit the general inspection of a series of bands, as an imperfect section would be noticed during its travel across the wide screen much more readily than if less picture areas were exposed to the light. It will be noticed from Fig. 1, that a relatively large number of picture areas on each film band are illuminated simultaneously.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a machine for winding notched film bands carrying a plurality of picture areas, the combination with an illuminated viewing screen adapted to simultaneously illuminate a plurality of picture areas, of means for moving the bands across the screen for for moving a connection to its inoperative osition adapted to be actuated by the notch in the film band.

2. In a machine of the class described adapted to wind a film band, the combination with a viewing screen, of a su ply reel and a take-up reel, one on each si e of the viewing screen, means for moving the film band across the viewing screen from one reel to the other comprising a driving member and a driven member, a clutch member between the two members, a clutch actuatinlg device comprising a lever adapted to move into a driving position or into a non-driving position, and a brake, actuated when the lever is in its second mentioned position.

3. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a viewing screen, of means to draw the film across the screen comprising a supply and a take-up reel, means for driving the take-up reel by means of a driving member and a driven member, con

nections between the two movable to and from a driving position, an arm for holding the arts in driving relation, a latch for holdlng the arm, and means for breaking the driving relation automatically when the latch is released.

4. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a viewing screen, of means to draw the film across the screen comprising a supply and a take-up reel, means for driving the take-up reel by means of a driving member and a driven member, connections between the two movable to and from a driving position, an arm for holding the parts in driving relation, a latch for holding the arm, means for breaking the driving relation automaticall when the latch is released, and means or manually releasing the latchto break the driving connections. I

5. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a viewin screen, of a supply reel and a take-up ree for a film band mounted along two sides of the film screen, means for driving the take-up reel to draw the film band across the screen comprising :1 driven and a driving member, a lever adapted to swing between two positions, the

lever in one position operatively connecting the driving and the driven members to wind the film, and in the other position operatively disconnecting the two members, an arm extending from the lever, and a weight adjustable on the arm for normally moving the lever into the disconnecting position.

6. In a machine of the class described adapted to wind a film, the combination with a viewing screen, of means for drawing the film across the screen comprising a driven and a driving member, a movable member ada ted to move into a position for connecting t e driven and driving members, and to move into a position for disconnecting them, and a breaking member actuated by the movable member when it is brought into its disconnecting position adapted to quickly halt the moving film.

7. In a machine of the class described adapted to wind a film, the combination with a viewing screen, ofmeans for drawing the film across the screen comprising a driven and a driving member a clutch member operatively interposed between these. members, said clutch member comprising an arm having means for opera tively connecting the driven and. driving elements on one end, and a brake on the other, whereby movement of said arm will cause the film band to move or to stop.

8. In a machine of the class described adapted to wind a film, the combination with a viewing screen, of means for drawing the film across the screen comprising a driven and a driving member, a belt connecting these members, a belt tensioning member, a swinging arm carrying the tensioning member, said arm also carrying a brake, whereby the film band will be moved for general inspection by swinging the arm to one position, and will be halted for minute inspection by. swingingthe arm in the other direction.

Signed at Fort Lee, this 30th 7 day of January, 1922.

CHARLES DE MOOS. 

